Newsday Athlete of the Week is Westhampton boys volleyball's Seth Terry

If you told someone that it was Seth Terry’s first season as a setter for Westhampton, they probably wouldn’t believe you.

The Westhampton boys volleyball team is heading to the state Division II championship for the first time since 2019, and without the help of Terry, that might not have been possible.

“We call him the quarterback of our offense,” coach Josh Tuttle said. “He does a great job distributing the ball to each of our hitters, and he does a great job of switching up the tempo, which makes it more challenging for other teams to stop us.”

Terry found an interest in volleyball at a young age because his older brother, Micah, had played. At just 8 years old, he started playing beach volleyball.

“At first I made fun of him for playing volleyball,” Terry said. “But once he got me into it, I fell in love with the sport.”

Terry joined Westhampton's varsity team his sophomore year as an outside hitter.

“As a 10h grader, that’s just where we needed him, and his junior year, we had a bunch of injuries and needed to keep him there,” Tuttle said.

“Whatever the team needed I was determined to fill that role," Terry said. "That role was outside hitter for my first two seasons,”

He decided to join a club team, and he experimented with playing the setter position.

Terry feels at ease in the setting position, he says he understands the court. Being in control on the court was something Terry loves about setter, and he has a good understanding of what's happening on the court.

“Every play I’m touching the ball, and I like having that control on the court; being able to distribute the ball and set up the plays” he said.

When his senior season came around, Westhampton was ready to give him a shot as setter, and he’s continued to prove himself since.

“He really is just a natural setter,” Tuttle said.

This season, he’s accounted for 553 assists, including 36 against Calhoun in the Long Island Division II championship last week.

“As one of our captains, he definitely sets the tone for us,” Tuttle said. “He uses his words to build-up the team and his work ethic to lead by example, which really helps the younger guys on the team.”

From 8-years-old to now, volleyball has not only become a passion for Terry, but it’s helped him grow as a person.

“The sport has really taught me how to overcome adversity,” he said. “Volleyball is a very mentally heavy game, and if you get in your own head, you’re your worst enemy. I’ve learned how to look back on my mistakes, and really understand how I can improve not only my game, but myself.”